Free Republic

Occupy Central movement is aimed at challenging China's supreme power organ. People have been staging protests in Hong Kong seeking the "real universal suffrage." They attempt to force the central authorities to change the decision of China's top legislature. A decision made on Aug. 31 granted universal suffrage in the selection of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s chief executive on the basis of nomination by a "select committee". The decision possesses unchallengeable legal status and authority. It is "a certain choice and the only choice" to safeguard the decision, in line with the "one country, two systems" policy...

Aboard Air Force One En Route Princeton, an Indiana event. U.S. foreign policy and international engagement. A full transcript will be available on the White House website. * * * * Q: Do you have the week-ahead? MR. EARNEST: I do have the week-ahead. Thank you for reminding me. Let me come through it here, and then we’ll all go put our seatbelts on. On Sunday, the President will deliver remarks at the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial Dedication Ceremony in Washington, D.C. On Monday, the President will attend a DNC roundtable in Washington, D.C. On Tuesday, the President...

World oil prices tumbled to their lowest in more than two years on Tuesday, with U.S. crude posting its biggest daily decline since 2012... the U.S. dollar rose.

CIUDAD MIER, Mexico (AP) — Mexico adjusted 75 years of crony-corruption to reform its state-owned oil industry. As it prepares to develop rich Gulf Coast shale fields just south of Brownsville, and attract foreign investors. Brutal "drug" cartels rule Tamaulipas and are stealing billions of dollars' worth of oil from pipelines. Figures released by Petroleos Mexicanos last week show the gangs are have drilled 2,481 taps into the pipelines. Pemex estimates it's lost some 7.5 million barrels worth $1.15 billion. Pemex director Emilio Lozoya (a friend of Eric), called the trend "worrisome."

BEIRUT, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Air and missile strikes, hit oilfields overnight and early Friday. U.S. started bombing in northern and eastern Syria on Tuesday. The United States has been bombing the al Qaeda splinter group "Islamic State" since last month. Missile and air strikes near the city of al-Mayadin, and the al-Tanak oilfields in Deir al-Zor, an area (now) almost entirely controlled by the splinter group had been major oil-producing al-Quriyah resource region. Oil has been a top source of revenue for al Qaeda and the administration supported Brotherhood. Air raids on Thursday are a first step, to restore...

But the documents also reveal additional details, some of which may help explain why city officials were so concerned with Combs' plans to go on live radio Oct. 25 to discuss the case. Lopez, 13, was shot and killed Oct. 22 by a sheriff's deputy who mistook his plastic BB gun for an AK-47 assault rifle, which it was designed to closely resemble. In the emails, Combs questions whether the Santa Rosa Police Department ought to even be investigating the shooting. "Is anyone there thinking about the appearance of our dept investigating the sheriff's dept at the same time as...

Doctors say deaths, can be linked to delays. A starkly different view than the one painted by VA inspector general’s report. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., questioning of acting VA IG, Richard Griffin, about whether IG was corruptly influenced by VA officials.... Miller banged his gavel to stop acting shill Griffin's speel. “You want the truth?” Griffin, incredulously. "As a physician” Katherine Mitchell, I believe the OIG case review systematically overlooked relationships between delays and deaths. Mitchell, joined by VA doctor Samuel Foot. Foot, "VA IG’s office used a criminal activity, as damage control, rather than using it to get to...

Now let’s make two things clear: 1. ISIL is not Islamic. The vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. Sunni, never harm Shitt nor v-v). Further- more, neither detests the other so deeply as they mutually frown on the Iban / Wahab. 2. ISIL(+East) is certainly not a state, rather (it is a notaMuz) Cartel Calliefatethingy. High commissioner, Diversity = good, so we must assist the young & emerging callifiate into UN legitimacy, (non Islamic), Muslim Brotherhood principals and califfada long held imparities. This week, I have ordered our military to re-outfit with Jordan Flight Runner, non-boot ground contact...

Russian oil production, the major source of government revenue (40 + percent) of state revenues, may decline ..., the Energy Ministry said on Monday. Russia's economy (is) heavily dependent on crude exports and on the brink of collapse. Oil production has been broadly in decline this year mostly due to the depletion of West Siberia's oilfields.

The Philippine military said Monday that a U.N. peacekeeping commander in the Golan Heights should be investigated for seeking only surrender options. When rebels challenged UN Camps at a crossing on the Syrian-Israeli, Golan Heights Wednesday. Al Qaida-Nusra, demanded the Fijian and Filipino peacekeepers surrender. The commander of U N Grovel Force, or UNGF, directed demand compliance. Fijian peacekeepers surrendered their weapons, munitions , supplies and pride, are now held by the Nusra. Flip Gen. Catapang, said "nuts", and instead, initiated a daring run for all you are worth, ending the sorta tense, standoff thing. The Philippines has given notice...

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson, officer safety is the number one issue, after two of his officers fired nine rounds into a shoplifter. Is a police officer's number one job really to protect himself and his partner? Really?

The VA Inspector has been investigating the deaths for months and has now shared draft of his findings with Top Officials. The new VA Secretary McDonald said: "It is important to note" that while the report documents deficiencies in quality and substantial delays in care, OIG was unable to conclusively assert that the absence of quality or care directly caused the death of any these victims. This May, the inspector found that 1,700 veterans, waiting for primary care appointments at the Phoenix VA, did not show up on the wait list. An additional 1,800 will have to wait at three...

Pre-operational tests have been successfully completed at unit 1 of the Lungmen nuclear power plant in Taiwan. Start-up of the reactor has been delayed until a national referendum, not expected for up to another three years. Construction work began on the two 1350 MWe Advanced Boiling Water Reactors at Lungmen, in 1999, with the first scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2006 and the second in 2007. NT$300 billion ($10 billion) has already been spent building the plants both of which, will now mothball.

British jihadis involved in the brutal beheading of American reporter James Foley callously boasted of making personal fortunes from ransoms paid for other released hostages, openly talked of making so much money they could retire to Kuwait or Qatar, The four Islamic State jihadis – nicknamed The Beatles by their Western captives – were reported to be ‘interested in money’ from the start. American hostages – especially Foley, whose brother was discovered to be serving in the US Air Force – were picked out for the most brutal beatings.

Jill Ravitch is Sonoma County’s District Attorney and Gloria Eurotas is the director of Victim Services. You’re late for work, and don’t take the time to kiss your 13-year-old son goodbye as he leaves for school. It’s just another day, and you think nothing of it, you will connect with him in the evening. Then the nightmare begins. The phone rings and you find that a deranged Deputy Sharif unloaded his service weapon down the sidewalk and hit a child as he walked home. You race to the hospital and find officials present with police. The Depuity is not in...

Russia builds all of the rocket engines that deliver U.S. military satellites into space. Gen. William Shelton, U.S. Space Command, said Tuesday the recent missile attack on Malaysian passenger jet that killed 298 people will not result any change to this (crony driven, United Launch Alliance) RD-180 engine arrangement. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., SpaceX, has sued the Air Force for the oppertunity to compete, for contracts that provide lift to military and intel satellite. Right now, only ULA is allowed to "compete" for the $9 billion Engine project. //Snip// Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Rogozin threatened in May to cut...

What Happened to the Peshmerga? Without a doubt, one of the biggest and most disturbing surprises of the past week was the seeming ease with which ISIS fighters defeated Kurdish Peshmerga forces, seizing several towns in northern Iraq, the Mosul Dam, and even threatening to advance on Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). All of this has conveyed an impression of Kurdish weakness very much contrary to the accepted wisdom that the Peshmerga were more than capable of defending their lands.

Obama and Hillary split on whether the catastrophe in Syria could have been avoided if the United States had played a role. Ob1 invited Senate and House leaders from both parties. Bitched out criticism of the directed clumping of Naszamba with Wahhabi' in anti Assad arms distribution. Sen. Bob Corker (R) inquired of Ob1 on issues - Syria, ISIS, Russia, and Ukraine. Ob Responded at length. (wo Teleprompter) opined, allegation that selectively arming allies could have led to better outcomes, is horseshit. Crocker, “three years of rhetoric, divorced from reality & some 170,000 good Syrians, slaughtered... Our President encouraged the...

Sonoma County prosecutors spent $63,000 on outside consultants, and other expenses during an investigation into the shooting death of a child, who was shot and killed by a County Deputy Sheriff. The expense, included $10,000 payment to a William Lewinski, director of Minnesota-based, Force Science Institute who bills himself as an authority and is known in legal circles as someone who can be relied upon. The report concluding Gelhaus had to shoot 13-year-old Lopez to stop a perceived threat to the deputy and his partner.

Just two weeks prior to Holder’s contempt vote, Obama showed contempt for Congress himself, signing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Executive Order credited with the latest Border Crisis. Border Patrol Agent Javier Vega is dead today (thanks to) Congress and President Obama, said the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC). Vega was murdered while fishing with his father earlier this week.. There is no claim that the murder was with a Fast and Furious gun but his death, at the hands the two illegal alien thugs that had been deported multiple times previously, certainly exemplifies one of the dangers...